


A Dutiful Man

by jkl789



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: ASoIaF Kink Meme, Alternate Universe - BDSM, Bondage, Butt Plugs, Caning, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-01
Updated: 2014-03-01
Packaged: 2018-01-14 04:14:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1252390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jkl789/pseuds/jkl789
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nobly born youths are sent to serve other Houses as slaves for a certain period of time, in the belief that it will make them better rulers later. (In the style of Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty BDSM novels.) Ned takes duty and tradition seriously, and he is thorough in training and disciplining his ward Theon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Dutiful Man

It had been a long day and Ned was tired. He looped rope through the ring that dangled from Theon’s collar and tethered his ward to the wall. The servants had already brought up the copper tub and filled it with hot water for his bath. Ned undressed and sank into the water, immediately feeling the relief as the warmth soothed his aching muscles. Today’s bout of sparring with Jory had reminded him that he was not a young man anymore. 

_No, I am not a young man. I have a son who is almost a man himself._ Ned sighed. It was time Robb was fostered with another lord to be trained, but to acknowledge it would mean admitting that Jon, too, needed to be sent away and that was a problem Ned was not ready to tackle. There was no one he trusted with Jon, not when the promise he’d made to his dying sister still haunted him. 

When at last he rose from the bath, his man servant was there with a thick robe for him to wrap himself in. Ned was ready to retire to bed, but then he thought of Catelyn. Since he’d begun training Theon Greyjoy, he had unfortunately been neglecting his wife, not from lack of desire but for lack of energy. The Greyjoy boy was quite a handful. 

“Lord Stark, I’m cold,” he complained now.

Ned belted his robe and went to the chest that held the things he needed to do his duty as Theon’s guardian. He selected a gag made of a wooden ball with leather straps and started towards his ward.

“That one hurts my mouth,” Theon said. “It’s too hard. If you want to gag me, you should pack some cloth into my mouth and tie another cloth over it.”

Theon was his father’s only living son and one day he would be lord of Pyke. But before the time came for him to rule, he first needed to learn how to serve. However, he was proving to be a difficult student, one unable to accept another’s will and give naught but his obedience. 

Ned touch Theon’s smooth jaw. “Open.”

Theon reluctantly opened his mouth, and Ned slipped the ball gag between his teeth. He fastened the straps behind Theon’s head and stepped back. Should he cane him now or after? Ned deliberated. He did not want to go to his lady wife distracted by dissatisfaction with his ward, but he did not want to tire himself out with Theon either. 

In the end he settled for a half-measure. He made another selection from the chest, and was heartened when Theon bent over without shaking his head or giving him pleading looks as he had done in earlier days. Ned briskly inserted the plug into his arse, making sure it was firmly seated. He covered Theon’s hands with a sack and then bound them, so that Theon would be unable to remove the plug even if he managed to reach behind him. 

“I am going to see my wife,” Ned told him. “When I return, you will be caned ten strokes on each cheek.” 

Theon let out a muffled protest, but there was a look of resignation in his dark eyes. Perhaps Ned was making some progress after all, however little. 

Catelyn was surprised to see him, but she welcomed him warmly. After they’d made love and after the afterglow faded, they spoke first of daily trivialities and then of the children. “You should accept Robert’s proposal,” Cat urged. “The queen’s offer to train Sansa is a great honor.”

Although Ned disliked his old friend’s wife, he could not think of a better alternative himself. But at least he had a couple more years before Sansa had to begin her training. Robb was fast approaching manhood and his training should have already begun. “I will write to Jon Arryn about Robb. There is no one I trust more to guide Robb into becoming the kind of lord Winterfell will need. Winter is coming.” 

“Yes,” Catelyn agreed. There was a hard edge to her voice when she spoke next. “It is time for Jon Snow to go, too.” 

“Catelyn-”

“No, Ned. You cannot put it off any longer. If it is time for Robb to be trained, then it is time for Jon Snow, too.” 

She was right, but Ned could not tell her why he could not just hand Jon off to one of the bannermen who’d offered to take him. He thought briefly of asking her to train Jon herself, but he knew neither she nor Jon would be happy with that arrangement. He pulled away from her and climbed out of the bed. “I still need to discipline Theon before I sleep. Good night, Cat.”

Despite the cold floor and his nudity, and despite his state of bondage and the plug lodged up his arse, Theon had managed to fall asleep. Ned prodded him with his foot and called his name. “Theon.”

Theon’s eyes opened and he stared at Ned blearily. He tried to stretch, then realized he was bound. The look he gave Ned was an accusing one. Ned knew enough about the Iron Isles to know that Theon’s training would have been much harsher had he remained among his own people. But the boy had been young when he’d been taken from Pyke after his father’s rebellion, and perhaps he’d been too sheltered to know its customs. 

Ned was no sadist. The games that were played elsewhere were not played at Winterfell. But he was a man who prided himself on knowing his duty and doing it to the best of his abilities. Robert had given him Theon to raise, and Ned intended to see to it that Theon received proper training and discipline.

He removed the gag and allowed Theon to work the soreness out of his jaw, before issuing the command. “Bend over the foot of the bed.”

Theon moved into place quickly, but Ned took his time selecting a cane. He wanted the anticipation to build in Theon’s mind. His own training in his youth had taught Ned that the anticipation of punishment was often near as bad as the actual punishment. Funny to think that Jon Arryn would soon be training Ned’s son as he once trained Ned. 

Usually when he caned Theon, Ned alternated cheeks, landing one blow on his right cheek and the next on his left. It would be good to shake things up. Ned struck suddenly, delivering five quick blows to Theon’s left arsecheek in rapid succession. Theon howled and thrashed. 

Ned waited for him for calm down before laying five strokes on his right cheek. This time Theon swore and uttered a colorful insult aimed at Ned’s mother. Ned did not let it rile him to rash action. He would punish Theon for that infraction tomorrow. He continued this punishment, administering the second set of five strokes to his ward’s left cheek. 

“Oh,” Theon moaned miserably. Theon and Robb had become friends soon after Theon’s arrival at Winterfell, and after overhearing one of Theon’s first punishments, Robb had come to his father and begged mercy for him. Ned had been forced to forbid his son from interfering in Theon’s training. He had attempted to explain that being soft on a youth could ultimately harm him worse than being fairly disciplined would, but he was not sure his son understood. 

He delivered the final blows and put the cane away, then he untied Theon and rubbed his arms to help his circulation. He gave the boy a drink of cool water and let him collect himself for moment. Ned decided it was a good time to teach Theon choices and living with their consequences. “I will give you a choice,” he said. “I can remove the plug and you can sleep in your corner on the floor, or I can leave the plug in and you can warm my feet tonight. Which will it be?”

Theon looked rather unhappy, though he was careful not to glare at Ned. “I’ll warm your feet, my lord.” 

Ned was rather surprised. He’d thought Theon would seize the opportunity to have the plug taken out of his arse. If Theon was becoming used to it, it might be time to start using a larger one. But he was a man of his word. “Very well,” he said. 

Theon scrambled under the covers so quickly Ned wanted to chuckle. He blew out the candles and joined his ward in bed. Somehow he was not surprised when he felt Theon’s mouth on his cock. But it would not make him forget the punishment due Theon tomorrow.


End file.
